A apparatus is provided that includes a plurality of wireless sensors arranged into a mesh network, wherein each of the plurality of sensors detects threats within a secured geographic area, a processor of each of the plurality of sensors that detects operational and environmental operating conditions of a respective one of the plurality of sensors and reports the operational and environmental operating conditions, a control panel processor that receives and correlates at least one of the operational and environmental operating conditions of the respective one of the plurality of sensors to a potential failure mode and reports the potential failure mode to a cloud application, and a cloud processor of the cloud application that determines a location of the respective one of the plurality of sensors and reports the potential failure mode and the location to a person responsible for the respective one of the plurality of sensors.
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1. An apparatus comprising: a wireless sensor, wherein the wireless sensor detects threats within a secured geographic area; a processor of the wireless sensor that detects internal operational conditions of the wireless sensor and reports the internal operational conditions; a control panel processor that receives and correlates the internal operational conditions of the wireless sensor to a potential failure mode and reports the potential failure mode to a cloud application; and a cloud processor of the cloud application that determines a location of the wireless sensor and reports the potential failure mode and the location to a person responsible for the wireless sensor.
A system for automatically reporting sensor health to the cloud uses a wireless sensor to detect threats in a secured area. The sensor's processor monitors its internal operational conditions (e.g., battery level, temperature, signal strength) and reports these. A control panel processor receives these operational conditions, correlates them to potential failure modes (e.g., low battery, overheating, signal loss), and sends these potential failure modes to a cloud application. The cloud application's processor determines the sensor's location and reports both the potential failure mode and location to the person responsible for the sensor, enabling proactive maintenance.
2. The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the control panel processor comprises a control panel that monitors a plurality of sensors that includes the wireless sensor.
Building upon the previous description, the control panel processor is part of a control panel that monitors multiple sensors, including the wireless sensor that detects threats. The control panel aggregates data from a network of sensors, providing a centralized point for assessing system-wide health and security. This allows for correlation of sensor data and a comprehensive view of potential issues within the secured geographic area.
3. The apparatus as in claim 2 wherein the control panel processor polls each of the plurality of sensors for data.
Expanding on the previous description, the control panel processor actively polls each of the multiple sensors for data. Instead of sensors passively sending data, the control panel requests updates from each sensor on a regular basis. This polling mechanism ensures timely and consistent monitoring of sensor status, facilitating early detection of potential failures.
4. The apparatus as in claim 2 wherein the plurality of sensors comprises one or more of smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and intrusion detectors.
The invention relates to an apparatus for monitoring environmental and security conditions within a defined area, such as a building or facility. The apparatus addresses the need for integrated monitoring systems that can detect multiple types of hazards, including environmental threats like smoke and carbon monoxide, as well as security breaches such as unauthorized entry. Traditional monitoring systems often require separate devices for each type of detection, leading to complexity and potential gaps in coverage. This apparatus consolidates multiple detection functions into a unified system, improving efficiency and reliability. The apparatus includes a plurality of sensors designed to detect various conditions. These sensors may include smoke detectors for identifying fire hazards, carbon monoxide detectors for detecting toxic gas leaks, and intrusion detectors for sensing unauthorized access. The sensors are interconnected within the apparatus, allowing for centralized monitoring and alerting. The system may also include processing components to analyze sensor data, determine the severity of detected conditions, and trigger appropriate responses, such as activating alarms or notifying authorities. By integrating these detection capabilities, the apparatus provides comprehensive monitoring with reduced hardware requirements and improved coordination between different types of alerts. This enhances safety and security in residential, commercial, and industrial settings.
5. The apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising a counter within the wireless sensor that determines a number of times that the wireless sensor has transmitted data.
In addition to the initial description, the wireless sensor incorporates a counter that tracks the number of times it transmits data. Each successful data transmission increments this counter. This provides a metric for assessing sensor activity and identifying potential communication issues. High transmission counts could indicate frequent threat detection, while low counts might suggest connectivity problems.
6. The apparatus as in claim 2 further comprising a counter within the wireless sensor that determines a number of times that the wireless sensor has re-transmitted data from other ones of the plurality of sensors.
Further to the description involving multiple sensors and a control panel, the wireless sensor includes a counter that specifically tracks the number of times it re-transmits data received from other sensors. As a mesh network node, the sensor might forward data from other devices to extend network coverage. Tracking re-transmissions helps assess network health and identify potential bottlenecks or communication failures.
7. The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the processor of the wireless sensor determines and reports a temperature of the wireless sensor.
Complementing the initial system description, the processor within the wireless sensor specifically determines and reports the temperature of the wireless sensor itself. This temperature reading is included in the operational conditions reported to the control panel. Monitoring sensor temperature helps identify potential overheating issues that could lead to failure.
8. The apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the processor of the wireless sensor determines and reports a transmission power of the wireless sensor.
Expanding upon the initial system description, the processor within the wireless sensor determines and reports its transmission power. This transmission power level is part of the operational conditions reported. Monitoring transmission power helps identify potential signal strength issues that could impact communication reliability.
9. An apparatus comprising: a wireless sensor, wherein the wireless sensor detects threats within a secured geographic area; a processor of the wireless sensor that detects internal operational conditions of the wireless sensor and reports the internal operational conditions to a control panel; a control panel processor that receives and correlates the internal operational conditions of the wireless sensor to a potential failure mode and reports the potential failure mode to a cloud application; and a cloud processor of the cloud application that determines a location of the wireless sensor and reports the potential failure mode and the location to a person responsible for the wireless sensor.
A system reports sensor health to the cloud. A wireless sensor detects threats. Its processor detects internal conditions and reports them to a control panel. The control panel's processor correlates these conditions to potential failures and reports these failures to a cloud application. The cloud application determines the sensor's location and reports the potential failure and location to the responsible person. The main difference from claim 1 is that internal operational conditions are reported directly to the control panel first.
10. The apparatus as in claim 9 wherein the internal operational conditions reported to the control panel further comprise one or more of a number of times that the wireless sensor has transmitted data to the control panel, a number of times that the wireless sensor has re-transmitted data from a plurality of sensors that includes the wireless sensor to the control panel, a battery voltage, a temperature of the wireless sensor, and a transmission power.
Expanding on the previous claim, the internal operational conditions reported to the control panel include one or more of: the number of data transmissions, the number of data re-transmissions from other sensors, the battery voltage, the temperature of the wireless sensor, and the transmission power. This provides a rich set of data for the control panel to analyze and correlate with potential failure modes.
11. The apparatus as in claim 10 wherein the control panel processor correlates the temperature of the wireless sensor with the potential failure mode.
Based on the description where internal operations are reported to the control panel, the control panel processor specifically correlates the temperature of the wireless sensor with the potential failure mode. An unusually high or low temperature could indicate a malfunction or environmental problem that requires attention.
12. The apparatus as in claim 11 wherein the control panel processor correlates a rate of rise of the temperature of the wireless sensor with the potential failure mode.
Continuing from the previous description, the control panel processor further correlates the *rate of rise* of the temperature of the wireless sensor with the potential failure mode. A rapid increase in temperature could signal an impending component failure more effectively than a static temperature reading alone.
13. The apparatus as in claim 10 wherein the control panel processor correlates the number of times that the wireless sensor has transmitted data with the potential failure mode.
Following the system description where internal operations are reported to the control panel, the control panel processor specifically correlates the number of times the wireless sensor has transmitted data with the potential failure mode. An unexpectedly low transmission count could indicate a communication problem or sensor malfunction. An unexpectedly high count could indicate frequent threat detection or a sensor stuck in a reporting loop.
14. The apparatus as in claim 10 wherein the control panel processor correlates the transmission power with the potential failure mode.
Building on the system description with control panel reporting, the control panel processor correlates the transmission power of the wireless sensor with the potential failure mode. Low transmission power could suggest a weak signal or impending transmitter failure.
15. The apparatus as in claim 14 wherein the control panel processor correlates a rate of decrease in the transmission power with the potential failure mode.
Expanding on the previous claim regarding transmission power, the control panel processor correlates the *rate of decrease* in the transmission power with the potential failure mode. A rapidly declining transmission power is a strong indicator of battery drain or component failure.
16. The apparatus as in claim 9 wherein the control panel processor polls each of a plurality of sensors that includes the wireless sensor for data.
Given the system where sensor data is reported to a control panel, the control panel processor polls each of multiple sensors, including the wireless sensor, for data. The control panel actively requests data from each sensor instead of relying on sensors to passively send updates. This polling can ensure regular data collection and facilitate faster issue detection.
17. The apparatus as in claim 16 wherein the plurality of sensors comprises one or more of smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and intrusion detectors.
Further to the description, the multiple sensors that are being polled by the control panel include one or more of smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and intrusion detectors. This diversity of sensor types allows the system to detect and respond to a wide range of potential threats and hazards.
18. An apparatus comprising: a security system that protects a secured area; a wireless sensor of the security system, wherein the wireless sensor detects threats within the secured area; a control panel of the security system that monitors the wireless sensor; a processor of the wireless sensor that detects internal operational conditions of the wireless sensor and reports the internal operational conditions to the control panel; a control panel processor that receives and correlates the internal operational conditions of the wireless sensor to a potential failure mode and reports the potential failure mode to a cloud application; and a cloud processor of the cloud application that determines a location of the wireless sensor and reports the potential failure mode and the location to a person responsible for the wireless sensor.
A security system protects an area using a wireless sensor that detects threats. A control panel monitors the sensor. The sensor's processor detects internal conditions and reports them to the control panel. The control panel processor correlates these conditions to failures and reports these failures to a cloud application. The cloud application determines the sensor's location and reports the failure and location to the responsible person. This emphasizes the security system context.
19. The apparatus as in claim 18 wherein the internal operational conditions reported to the control panel comprise one or more of a number of times that the wireless sensor has transmitted data to the control panel, a number of times that the wireless sensor has re-transmitted data from a plurality of sensors that includes the wireless sensor to the control panel, a battery voltage, a temperature of the wireless sensor, and a transmission power.
In the context of a security system, the internal operational conditions reported to the control panel include the number of data transmissions, number of re-transmissions, battery voltage, temperature, and transmission power. This detailed sensor data provides a comprehensive view of sensor health and performance within the overall security system.
20. The apparatus as in claim 18 wherein the control panel processor compares the internal operational conditions or rate of rise or decrease of the internal operational conditions with a corresponding threshold value.
Within the security system, the control panel processor compares the internal operational conditions (or their rate of rise/decrease) with a corresponding threshold value. For instance, if the temperature exceeds a predefined limit, or if the battery voltage drops below a critical level, a potential failure mode is triggered. The system proactively identifies potential issues by comparing sensor data to expected values.
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May 12, 2015
March 28, 2017
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